Inclinometer.



1. E. FAHS.

INCLINOMETER.

v APPUCATION man JULY 29. 1910.

1 ,298,484 Patented Mar 25, 1919.

W'l'lhesa s JOHN E. FAHS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INGLINOMETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed July 29, 1918. Serial No. 247,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. FArrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Inclinometers, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to indicating devices of the kind that are adapted to accommodate themselves to different conditions.

The object of the invention is the provision of what I 'denominate an inclinometer, because the device is constructed and ar ranged primarily with a view to enabling an aviator, more especially a student aviator, to ascertain by reference to the device the angle of inclination at which he is ascending or descending, as well as the angle at one side or the other of a vertical plane.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the inclinometer comprising certain essential elements, as well as in the'peculiar construction, novel com binations, and adaptation of parts, all as hereinafter explicitly described and pointed out in my. appended claims;

In the accompanying drawings, which are hereby made a part hereof:

Figure 1, is a view showing the inclinometer constituting the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am cognizant as the same appears when a person looks down wardly upon the face of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail section illustrative of the manner in which'the annulus is mounted in the standards.

Fi 4 is a detail section showing the adjusta le capacity of the weight in the globular member of the device.

' Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings. a

In addition to a base 1 which may be a support of any description, my novel device comprises standards 2, preferably formed integral with a transverse intermediate portion 3, superimposed upon and suitably fixed to the base.

Bearing in the upper portions of the standards 2 are screws 4, equipped with nuts 5, and pivotally mounted at diametrically opposite points on the said screws 4 is an annulus 6; the said annulus being interposed between the nuts 5 and the standards 2, F1g. 2, in order that the nuts 5 may be used to clamp the annulus against the standards and thereby adjustably fix the annulus in the position desired. The inner ends of the screws 4 are conical, as indicated by 7, and on the said conical ends is pivotally mounted the inner annulus 8 of the device, said annulus 8 having seats 9 to receive the inner ends of the screws as shown, in such manner as to leave the annulus 8 free to swingin a vertical plane. Manifestly in addition to the 7 function ascribed to the nuts 5 said nuts are adapted to serve the additional purpose of jam nuts for preventing casual movement of the screws 4.

Bearing in the inner annulus 8 at points midway between the bearing points of said annulus are screws 10, equipped with jam nuts 11, and having their inner ends cone shaped, and mounted between and upon the inner ends of the said screws 10 is the globular member 13 of the device. The said globular member is adapted to turn on an axis extending through the screws 10, and is preferably, though not necessarily, of the specific construction illustrated i. 0., is made up of two semi-globular sections 14, detachably connected together by diametrically opposite screws 15, counter-sunk in one section and threaded into lugs 16 carried at the inner side of the other section, and a weight 17 arranged in the globular member and possessed of adjustable capacityfor the purpose hereinafter set forth. The weight may be adjustably fixed in the member 13 in any approved manner, the mode illustrated comprising a plurality of apertures 18 in the plain section of the member, and a screw 19 adapted to be seated in any one of the apertures 18 and threaded into the weight as illustrated. v

Suitably connected together at points midway between their ends are fine wires 20 and 21 which are reduced to arcuate form V illustrated.

. spective'o'f' the positionofxthedevice in an V aeroplane the vertical centralan'dhorizontal and have their'ends socketed in or other wise connected to the outer annulus 6 at equi -distant points. r 's 7 As will be observed. by .comparison of Figs. 1 and 2'the exposed half of theuglobular member 13 is :dividedabyrlines 22 and 23, analogous to lines of longitude and'latitude, respectively, and the verticall-central and horizontal central lines are preferably though not necessarily, numberedfrom zero at the center outwardly from the center as The outer annulus -6 and the weight 17 in the globular member 'are preferably made adjustable as "described in order that irrecentral lines on the globular'member 13fwi1l be in registration with the pointers, preferably "wires, 20' and 21, when the-aeroplane is *in- 'alevel position. a

The :scheme of my invention is to 'provide'meansito enable an aviator moreespe- "'cial'ly a student aviator'todetermineby reference tolth'e devicefthe angle of inclination atwhich he. is'ascen'dingor descending in a line perpendicular to the earth as well as to w'deterni'ineto what'extent -heis diverging from saidiperpendicular linein one directi'onfor the other, with a view to conducing Ito the factor of safety" incident to theihan- 'dlingof the aeroplane; and to enable the aviator to initiatea'flight andmake a landing to better vadvantage. It willbeapparent in this connection that by observingithe changes inposition 'of the globular member, relative to the pointers or pointer wires, or vice-versa, the aviator will be able to ascertain the angles at whichhe is progressing,

and this even when the numerals referred toga're omitted ffroni the globular member.

7 It will be apparent from the foregoing that the globular member 13 is universally ter andmounted"in'theisupporting means to move relatively toth'e' pointer means 7 2. An inclinometer comprising support;

in'g means, pointer means carried by ;the 'supportlng means, swlngingmeans mounted in" the supporting means, "and an eccentriber.

l. 'An inclinometer comprising supporting cally weighted and globular member pivoted to turn about an axis passing through its centerand mounted to turn onits axis in i said swinging means.

3. vAn

ing means, a swinging annulus, a graduated inclinometer comprising supportweighted' globular member movable about its axisz-in the annulus at right angles to the .axls of rotation of the annulus, and pointer means carried by the supporting means and adapted to cooperate with the g lobular'm'emmeans, an annulus mountedtoswingtherein,

'a' weighted globular member i'n'ounted inthe 1 annulus to swing at right angles to theaxis of rotation ofthe annulus and having graduations extending at "right angles .to each other, and I arcuate pointer' wires c'arriedby the supporting m'eans and disposed at right V angles to each 'other an'd approximately concentrical to-thesurface of -the globular member. I

5. An inclinometer comprising supportingmeans, Y an annulus mounted "to swing V in sald means, a graduated and weightedglobular member mounted in the annulus'toswing at right angles to the axis-of' rotationsof the '"annulus,asecond annulus mountedto" swing on the supporting means, and; an areuate pointerwire carriedby' the second-named annulus.

6. An 'inclinometer comprisingstandards, screws bearing in the standards andequipped with nuts, "an annulus adjustably mounted on the screws and interposed between the nuts and standards, 'arcuateF'poin-ter wires carried by' the annulus and disposed 'atjrighfi angles to 1 each other, an 5 annulus mounted to 7 swing on the inner portions 'ofsaid screws,

' and a graduated and weighted glou-larjmember mounted in the second named annulus to swing at right angles' to' the axisof rotation of the annulus; I a V '7. An-Lin'cl'inometer comprising support,

an annulus *mounted to swing therein, a weightedglobu-l ar membermounted to'swing' in the annulus at right angles "to the axis jofrota'tion of said "ann ilus;'- said globular member-having an adjustable-*wei'ghtpa sec- .ond annulus adjustable'on the support,{and I arcuate' -pointer wires carried by the last named annulus and'disp'o'sed at right angles to each. other. 7

v 58. inclinometer comprising s'tandards,

an annulus adjustable vertically on'the V 7120 right angles 'to each otheri andfcarried by V :the "annulus, a second annulus mounted to standards, arcuate pointer wiresdisposedat swing vertically; in the snpportyand -globunlar. member "mounted in theflastfnamedlan- 'nul'us to swing at right angles to the axis of I rotation of said annulus and having 'an nitsrior adjusta'ble weight and also having screws connecting the said sections, a weight means for adjustably fixing said weight. adjustable in the globular member, and a 10 9. A globular member for use in an inscrew connected to said weight and disposed clinometer, comprising two semi-globular in one of the apertures of the globular I 5 hollow sections one of which is provided member.

with lugs to rest within the other, and the In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature. other of which is provided with apertures having counter-sinks at their outer ends, JOHN E. FAHS.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

